In an effort to combat a short supply of U. S. teachers, school officials are looking abroad to hire educators. Foreign teaching hires meet critical need while providing a cultural exchange opportunity. This site looks at recruitment from the Caribbean.

Many U.S. schools are pushing to recruit foreign teachers who can help remedy recruitment problems:

Chicago, the nation's third-largest school district and the second-largest employer in Illinois, is looking for 3,500 new teachers for this school year. More than 130 teachers have been hired since August from 35 countries, including Japan, India, Colombia, Pakistan, Ghana, Jamaica and Mexico.

The Atlanta public schools have 400 to 500 vacancies this school year, and recruiters have "scoured the earth for teachers," says spokesman Seth Coleman. Recruiting trips have taken school leaders to Jamaica, South Africa and Canada. The Los Angeles Unified School District is "always chasing somewhere around 4,000 teacher vacancies annually,” says Antonio Garcia, director of recruitment. Since last year, about two dozen teachers have been hired from Spain, Mexico, Canada and the Philippines.